The present invention relates to a device and method for forming packaging. More specifically the present invention relates to tooling and a method of using the tooling to mold small self-standing packaging containers or sachets from unitary generally rectangular cardboard blanks.
Small disposable packaging containers or sachets are commonly used to provide consumer samples for assorted products, especially for fluidic products. The unitary blanks used to form the sachets are laminated with a moisture proof coating and, when molded, form a completely sealed and sterile environment. The sample products include lotions, perfumes, food products and other consumer goods which would benefit from small sealed unitary packaging. High quality cosmetics are marketed through the use of sachets emblazoned with trademarks and configured for particular trade dresses. Self standing sachets are used in the hotel and restaurant industry to provide consumer products in bathroom facilities, eliminating the need for storage baskets or the like. There is an ongoing need in the art to provide improved tooling for forming sachets in appealing self-standing shapes.
Various apparatus have been developed for the formation of packaging containers from unitary blanks. The previous apparatus contain sharp corners and edges which might damage unitary blanks during the forming of packaging containers or sachets. These previous apparatus formed sachets that rely on sharp folds and corners for support points and had difficulty forming curved or bowed support surfaces from unitary blanks. The present invention has been fashioned with rounded edges and curved surfaces to better form curved or bowed surfaces from unitary blanks. The curved surfaces of the present invention decrease the chances of puncturing unitary blanks and create more possibilities for the configuration of unitary blanks. The present invention may more easily form curved surfaces and integrate these surfaces with sharply angled surfaces to create containers that were previously very troublesome to form.
The present invention involves the use of tooling with curved surfaces and rounded edges to form packages or sachets from unitary generally rectangular cardboard blanks. An object of the present invention is to decrease the incidence of damaged packaging due to the sharp edges used on previous tooling. Another object of the invention is to increase the number of packaging shapes possible by forming curved surfaces in packaging containers fashioned from the unitary blanks.